Auxiliary organ keyboard for tuning



J. E. SMiTH.

AUXILIARY ORGAN KEYBOARD FOR TUNING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l, 1921.

Patented Nov. 7 1922.

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WMU "wma J. E. SMITH. AUXI-LIARY ORGAN KEYBOARD FOR TUNING.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY I. I92I.

3%4345568* Patented Nov. 7,1922.

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Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

UNITED STATES JESS-E E. SMITH, OF HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

AUXILIARY ORGAN KEYBOARD FOR TUNING.

Application led July 1, 1921. Serial No.1481,760.

To all whom it may cof/tecra: Y

Be it known that I, Jnssn E. SMrrH, a citizen or' the United States, residing at Hollywood, in the county oit Los Angeles 5 and ltatc of California, have invente/.i certain in. .i and useful lmprovements in .Auxiliary Organ Keyboards tor Tuning, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention is a circuit closing device, i tor use .in connection with an auxiliary portn able keyboard, ot the type employe-l to tune organs.

@ne o1" the objects ot the invention to provide simple means ior closing an electric circuit, and maintaining it in closed. coin dition, during the period ot depression ot the auxiliary testing key, with uf'hich it is associated.. A further object is to provide means for automatically actuating each circuit closer, to open its circuit, when another testing key is actuated. A further object is to provide means whereby a plurality ot cir cuit closers may be simultaneously operated.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set torth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 shows a top view or plan ot an auxiliary key board, with the cover open, and equipped With the invention. Figure shows a cross-sectional elevation olf the same. Figure 3 shows a detailed sectional View along line 3 3 of Figure lfigure fi shows a top view or plan ci' the inner arrangement of the box containing the mechanism of the auxiliary key board, the key board base being thrown back and inverted. Fi ure 5 shows a diagrammatical view of the ditgl'erent parts of the auxiliary key board in relation to an electrical organ. Figure 6 shows a top view of two sets ot finger bars used for connection With the source ot' electrical energy by which the organ is opere ated. Figure 7 shows a back view of part ot the finger bars. Figure 8 shows a secH tional elevation or' the same. Figure 9 shows a diagramniatical view of the wiring ot the auxiliary key board in connection with an electrical organ.

In an organ the keys of the stationary key board by which the organ is played are connected with the magnets which control the air supply to the organ pipes, by means ot suitable Wires leading :trom a source of electrical ener y.

The tumng of the pipes which in a large organ are frequently at a. considerable distance trom the keyboard involves without thc aid of an assistant, a great deal of Walking, climbing ot ladders and various inconveniences, While even the presence of an assistant means the giving of instructions 'from a distant point, conversation in a rather loud voice, frequent misunderstandings, loss ot time and irritating incidents Which tend to impair the etliciency of the tuner, especially as perfect silence is a point almost essential to achieve satisfactory results.

These various annoying details are entirely overcome by the use ot an auxiliary keyboard equipped with the circuit-closing elements of the present invention, which alloWsthe operator to produce an;Y desired note or notes, employ any stop or stops While stationed at any part of the organ.

The organ keyboard is conventionally represented at K, Figure 5, the organ pipe actuating magnets 2, being shown as provided With wires law/c@ A rail 3 of insulating materia-l is supported in any convenient position, said rail being provided With a number ot contactpins 4l corresponding .to the number of organ keys, and also provided With a number of contact pins 5 correspond ing to the number of organ stops. A Wire 6 leads from battery 1 to a terminal bar 7 in a portable auxiliary keyboard-enclosing box 8. Said box 8 contains the auxiliary keyboard Which consists ot a plurality of suitably mounted keys or buttons Q4. Metal contact lingers 10 in the lower part of box 8 are separately connected by insulated Wires 11 to an equal. number of metal strips or lingers l2 carried rby a finger bar 13, and metal strips 14 are similarly connected to lingers 15 attached .to a finger bar 16. It Will be noted that the lingers 12 contact with the pins /l and that the fingers 15 contact with the pins 5, the current passing through Wires 17 and K lto the magnets and returning through the wires K and 19 to battery 1,thus completing the circuit. By this means the magnets may be energized by a. plurality of shunt circuits. It is to be understood that magnets corresponding to the magnets 2 are similarly connected with the organ stops.

Pins 20, equal in number to the number oi stops in the organ, are electrically connected to terminal bar 7. When pushed downward the pins 2O contact with metal strips la, thus completing the stop circuit of the auxiliary keyboard and causing the current to pass through and energize the magnets 2i controlling the stops.

Wlire 6 bles 22, as shown in Figure 5, ot suicient length to allow the auxiliary keyboard to be carried conveniently to any desired part ot the organ.

ln practice the operator depresses any particular push button 24, thereby Iorcing the attached pin downwardly until it becomes engaged with the contiguous metal strips l and a recess 25 in the contiguous pivoted spring held contact bar 26. rlllhus the circuit is closed trom contact 7 through contact 3"?, bar 26, pin 23, strip l0, cable 22, individual wire il, finger l2, ain e, wire i7, wires 1b and e', the included magnets 2 and wire i9 back to battery i. The pushing down ot another key releases automatically the preceding one, while a number ot notes or chords may be sounded by pushing down the required keys simultaneously.

Releasing pin 27, upon being pressed down, engages one ot the conta-ct bars 26, which normally lies in its path, see Figure 3. inasmuch as both bars are connected by link 23 (see Figure 2), both contact bars 26 will be pushed out of contacting position. rIhus, the pins 23, are released from their engagement with the metal fingers l() and bars 26, thus breaking the key circuits and ending the organ notes. ln this manner it is possible to hold any number of keys down and play the organ by the auxiliary keyboard in.

exactly the same manner as by the organ keyboard.

The keyboard may be enclosed within the box 8 of insulation. The box is composed or" two members, a lower member 31 and an upper member32, To the top of one side cic the lower member 31 is hinged a keyboard base 33 or" insulation, in which the keys 24e, 2O and pin 27 are slidably mounted. The upper boX member 32 is hinged to the top of the base 33 at one side thereof. The ends and the other side of the member 32 extend down over the ends and other side of the base and rest upon the ends and other side of the lower box member 3l, thus enclosing the keyboard within the box. The keys 24 are slidably mounted in openings 34E, eX- tending through the base, and metal plates 35 are secured to the bottom of base 33 over tie key openings. through which openings extend the key pins 23. Springs 36 are interposed between the plates 35 and the keys 24 which are adapted to force the keys upwardly until the heads ot the pins engage the plates 35, whereby the keys are normaland wires il are gathered in ca-l ly maintained in their upper inactivepositions. @ne ot the plates 35 is electrically connected to terminal bar by metal strip 37.

The pins are slidably mounted in the base 33 and extend therethrough and through a metal bar 33 which is electrically connected to plate by metal strip 39. The bars 26 are pivot-ed to the plates 35 at 40. A spring il is connected at its ends to the ase and one or' the bars 26 which spring normally maintains the bars 26 in their upper position adjacent the Contact points ot the spring strips l0.

rllhe spring strips l0 and la are secured between bars i5 and 46 and the bars Li5 are provided with notches i? to receive the strips to permit the spring contacting movement thereof. Springs i3 are mounted in recesses in the bars which bear against the spring ingers l0 and ill and assist in maintaining the strips in their contacting position. The box and the keyboard enclosed therein may be readily carried around and placed in any convenient location to be operated by the tuner. ln order to operate the keyboard the top member 32 of the box is swung up on its hinges exposing the keyboard so that may be'operat-ed. The keyboard is normally held in operative position within the box by a latch 50. Upon disengaging the latch the base 33 and parts mounted. thereon may be swung up on hinges of the base so that access may be had to the parts on the under side of the base and to the lower interior of the boX.

T he head 23 of any' key 2li, which has been depressed, is caught in the r cess 25 of the contiguous bar 26, and held therein by the contiguous spring contact nger l0, there by preventing return et "the depressed key to its normal position. J ust as soon as any other key is depressed tar enough for its head 23 to engage the bar 26, said bar is first swung` out ot engagement with the previously depressed key, whereupon the spring 36 of the last mentioned key will return the latter to its normally inoperative position, thus breaking the organ pipe circuit and frosting the sounding oi the note controlled by said circuit. The key which is last depressed is engaged byf its spring finger and held in engagement with the bar 26 in a manner already described. In this way the keys may be depressed to sound the respective notes alternately as in playing the organ keyboard. Several keys may be depressed only the proper distance so that` all the contact pin heads of said keys may be engaged by the bar shoulders and the spring contacts to close all the circuits ot the depressed keys at the saine time and to sound all the notes controlled by said circuits Contemporaneously. The releasing pin may be depressed into engagement with the ,llO

contiguous bar 26 to so move said bar as to release an contact pin which may be held between either bar 26 and contiguous contact i() permitting the push buttons 24 and contact pins 23 to return to inoperative position. In this manner the circuit is broken. Or, the releasing pin 27 may be depressed to engage the cont-igmous bar 26 and release all the contact pins whereby all of the depressed keys Will return to their normal in operative positions to break all the circuits controlled by said keys and end the notes controlled by said circuits. In this Way the keyboard may be operated to play the notes of the organ as they are played by the organ keyboard.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although Without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is l. The combination with' the operating magnets or' an organ, ot' a portable auxiliary keyboard, means for providing temporary shunt circuits for energizing said magnets, there being one shunt circuit for each magnet, and means operated by the keys of said keyboard for closing the respective shunt circuits.

2. The combination with the operating magnets of an organ, of a portable auxiliary keyboard, a rail having pins in circuit with said magnets, means for electrically connecting the said keyboard with said pins, and means operated by the keys of said key bar for closing the circuits of the respective magnets through said pins.

3. The combination with the operating magnets of' an organ, of a portable auxiliary keyboard, a rail, a plurality of pins carrled by said rail and in circuit with said magnets, a portable finger bar having contact fingers engaging said pins, and means operated by the keys of said keyboard for closing the circuits to said magnets through said finger bars and contact fingers.

4. The combination With the key and stop-actuating magnets of an organ, of a portable auxiliary keyboard, a rail, a set of pins carried by said rail and in circuit With said key operating magnets, a set of pins also carried by said rail and in circuit with said stop operating magnets, finger bars having contact fingers engaging the respective sets of pins, and means operated byl the keys of said keyboard for closing circuits to said magnets through said finger bars and contact fingers.

5. The combination With the operating magnets of' an organ, of a portable auxiliary keyboard, means for providing temporary shunt circuits for energizing said magnets, there being one shunt circuit for each magnet, means operated by the keys of said keyboard for closing the respective shunt circuits, means for locking the keys in circuit closing position, and means for releasing said keys at will.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

JESSE E. SMITH. 

